Williams



2 Sheets8heet 1.

(No Model.)

A. A..WILLIAMS. GAS ENGINE.

Patented Aug. 3, 1897.

lnvenion IVz'ines es.

2 Sheets-8heet 2. A. A. WILLIAMS.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented Aug. 3,1897.

(No Model.)

- nve Z0 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPII A. IVILLIAMS, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,627, dated August3, l89' 7. Application filed April 18, 1896- Serial No. 588,112. (Nomodel.)

To all w/wl/t it may concern Be it known that I, ADoLP A. WILLIAMS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St.Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Explosive-Engines; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The object of my invention is to produce a gas or other explosive enginewhich may be operated equally well either by gas or by oil, as desired,without changing the mechanism of the device.

Another object is to improve the presen form of explosive-engine, tosimplify and improve the valve and valve-operating mechan ism, theigniting mechanism, and the governing devices, all as will be fullydescribed hereinafter.

The engine I will describe is of the wellknown form of horizontalone-cylinder singleacting four-cycle gas-engine, in which a mixture ofgas and air is inclosed, compressed, and ignited in one cylinder.

The form of valve I prefer to employ rotates and receives motion fromthe moving parts of the engine by means of a connectingrod pivoted nearits center on across-head. This cross-head carries means forautomatically controlling the throttle or oil-inlet valves. The ignitingmeans I employ are electric, consisting of a fixed electrode within theexplosive-chamber in intermittent contact with a movable electrode onthe moving member of the valve.

Myinvention consists, f u rther,of means for more thoroughly mixing andblending the charge of gas within the cylinder.

In orderthat my invention may be better understood, attention isdirected to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top viewof the complete en gine. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is anend section taken on the line a b of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is an enlargedsectional view of the valve-chest and explosive-chamber, taken on theline a d of Fig. 2 and showing the exhaust-pipe and a portion of theignitin g mechanism above the plane of the section.

work. A piston sliding within the cylinder operates a connecting-rod 4,which actuates the cranks 5 and shaft 6. 7 7 are heavy flywheels mountedupon the said shaft and serving to impart steadiness to the motion ofthe engine.

The valve-casing and explosive-chamber 8 is flanged at its forward faceand is bolted to a flange formed on the rear portion of the cylinder.This casing is open at its forward face and communicates with thecylinder;

The flat circular valve 49 is mounted on a stem 9, having a crank 9 onits outer extremity. This crank is positively driven by means of ahorizontal connecting-rod 10, pivoted to the crank and to a gear-wheel11, driven in the opposite direction at half the speed of the engine, bymeans of a smaller gear 12 on the driving-shaft 6. The large gear ismounted on a shaft 13, secured to the side of the framework 1. I

The connecting-rod 10 is further supported near its center by means ofthe cross-head 14, sliding in guides 15, bolted to an offset on one sideof the cylinder. By means of this crosshead a sliding support for theconnecting-rod will be provided, and the crank 0 will be prevented fromstopping on the centers. Furthermore, the point of pivoting of the rodwill be constant, and the movements of the crank 9 will be exactly inaccord with the gear-wheel 11, although in the opposite direction. Suchwould not be the case if the connecting-rod passed through a fixedconnection, such as a ring or swivel, as has been done, in which caseits movements would be irregular and ununiform.

The valve-casing is divided into two parts by a vertical partition, oneof which parts is again divided by means of an inclined partition 8'into a gaschamber 25 and exhaustchamber 32.

49 is a disk-shaped valve mounted onthe spindle 9 and secured thereto bymeans of a pin or screw 50, the spindle passing-through an openingwithin the partition 8, and is provided with a crank 9 on its outerextremity, as described. The valve is provided with the port 49',adapted to be brought opposite the exhaust-port 51 and gas-port 48, onopposite sides of the partition 8.

The relative positions of the gas and exhaust ports to the valve-portare so proportioned that the ports Will be opened and closed at theproper time to insure the proper operation of the engine.

The explosive-chamber is preferably provided with a manhole which can beclosed by means of a screw-plug 61. This manhole is of use for theintroduction of means ,for shaping and finishing the inside of thechamber and valve-casing, and will also be found of use for introducingthe valve and igniting devices and for allowing of their properadjustment.

The igniting mechanism is as follows: One contact 52 is secured to theinner extremity of the spindle 9, outside of the valve, and revolves inthe same direction with it. The contact may be secured directly to thevalve, if desired. This contact is preferably made of spring metal. Thesecond contact 53 is suspended from a yoke 55, upon the outside of thecasing, and passes through an open in g therein and is provided with ascrew 54 and nuts 56 for adjustment.

54 is a lock-nut which also serves the purpose of more securely closingthe opening through which the contact is introduced.

57 is an auxiliary brace for the contact 53, consisting, preferably, ofa rod passing through a stuffing-box 57 in the side of the chest. Theouter extremity of the rod 57 passes through the plate of the yoke 58,and a spring 59 engages between the yoke and a pin in the rod, servingto press the latter into engagement with the contact 53.

The contact 53 is insulated from the body of the engine and connects, bymeans of the wire 62, to a source of electricity, as a battery ordynamo, the return being through the wire 63, binding-post 64, andcylinder and explosion-chamber to the contact 52.

In operation the valve and spindle 9 will rotate the contact 52, whichwill engage with the contact 53 at the proper instant to explode thecompressed charge in the cylinder andexplosion-chamber.

The governing device consists, preferably, ofa ball-governor 16, drivenfrom the pulley 5 by any suitable means, such as a belt 19, andoperating a horizontal arm 20 by means of a link 19". The arm 20 isprovided with a yoke 22 at one extremity, pivoted to a short horizontaloffset 23 upon the side of the framework 1. The opposite extremity ofthe arm 20 connects, by means of the rod28, with the throttle-valve 28in the gas-supply pipe 26.

In operating an increase of speed will depress the arm 20 by the act-ionof the governor, which will tend to close the throttle-valve and thusregulate the speed of the engine.

31 is a gas-valve, and 30 the air-valve, se-

cured to the shoulder 29.

26 and 27 are portions of the gas-supply pipe.

In governing the feed of oil to the engine when gas is not used I employan arm 21, de-

pending from the cross-head 14 and recipro-' eating in a horizontaldirection. This arm is provided with a short horizontal shoulder havinga wedge-shaped face which will engage with the extremity 20' of the arm20. The yoke 22 connects with an oil-supply valve 45,

adjacent to the explosive-chamber, by meansv of a rod 24, oscillated bythe shoulder on the arm 21 striking the arm 20, whereby the valve willbe immediately openedsuflieiently to admit the proper quantity of oiland air to the. engine. The extremity 20 is beveled at an. angle, asshown.

Upon the arm becoming depressed by an increase of speed of the enginethe stroke of the armwill be lessened and will cease altogether if thearm is lowered below the path of the arm 21.

The oil-valve, Fig. 7, consists, preferably, of a puppet-valve 45,rigidly secured to the rod 24 and kept normally inengagement-with Thisits seat 46 by means of the spring 46'. valve 45 is preferably locatedwithinthe supply-pipe 25, as shown.

47 is a plug closing a manhole in the pipe 25,,through which the valvemay be introduced and adjusted, while 24 is an adj ustingnut for thestufiing-box gland surrounding the operating-rod 24.

43 is the regulating-valve for determining.

The velocity of the flow of oil and air can.

be accurately adjusted by means of thesetwo valves. It will be seen thatthe amount ofv oil entering the explosive-chamber willv be regulated bythe valve 45, which will be opened at each revolution of the valve 49,unless the speed be so great as to depress the arm 20 entirely below thepath of the'arm21, in which case the valve will remain closed.

until the speed decreases suifieiently to allow the action of thegovernor to raise the arm 20 until it will be struck by the arm21.,

42 is a screen secured within the pipe 25 immediately above theoil-valve 45. The oil passing through the screen will be minutelydivided and will thoroughly mix with the air.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Assuming the device is usedwith gas, I disconnect the rod 2A from the yoke 22, so that theoil-valve 45 may not be affected. The engine being started a supply ofgas and air is drawn through the pipes 26 and 27 into the chamber 25. Atthis moment the port 49 in the valve 49 is coincident with the opening48, so that the supply of gas and air enters the cylinder and is drawntherein by the outward movement of the piston. Upon the return movementof the piston the gas and air are compressed, during which time thevalve 49, by means of the intermediate mechanism before described, willhave been moved to a position approximately that shown in Fig. 6, sothat when the piston starts downward on its second stroke the contact 52will come into engagement with the contact 53, thereby closing theelectric circuit. The continued movement of the valve will almostimmediately thereafter break this circuit, causing a spark, whichexplodes the charge and drives the piston downward. When the piston hasreached the end of its second stroke, the valve 49 will have moved to aposition to bring the port 49' into coincidence with the passage 51, sothat on the second back stroke of the engine the products of combustionwill be expelled through the said passage 51 and thence out of theexhaustpipe 32. At the same time the governor 16 will, by means of theconnecting-rod 19, link 20, and rod 28', regulate the supply of air andgas to the engine by means of the regulatingvalve 28, so that the speedof the engine will be constant.

When the engine is used in connection with oil, the rod 24: is connectedto the yoke 22 and the rod 28 is disconnected from the link 20. Theregulating-valve 28 is opened so as to admit the proper supply of air tothe engine.

When burning oil, the operation of the engine is substantially the sameas in connection with gas, except that the means for supplying the oildiffers from the means for supplying gas-that is to say, as the pistonis making its second back stroke and is expelling the products ofcombustion from the cylinder the finger 21 comes into contact with theinclined end of the link 20 and carries the same backward, so as to openthe valve 45. This will allow vaporized oil to pass through the valve 43into the pipe 25, so as to allow vaporized oil and the proper supply ofair to be drawn by suction into the cylinder as the engine commences tomake the next outward stroke. The subsequent compression, explosion, andexhaustion of the oil-vapor are the same as when gas is used.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In an explosive-engine, a rotating valve, a driving-shaft, avalve-operating connectingrod driven from said shaft, supported at itscenter on cross-heads sliding on Ways, a governor operated by thedriving-shaft, a pivoted arm capable of being deflected by the action ofthe governor, a connection between said arm and the supply-valve, and adepending finger movable with the cross heads and adapted either tostrike or miss the extremity of the arm at each stroke of thecross-head, substantially as set forth.

2. In an explosive-engine, a driving-shaft, a pinion on thedriving-shaft, a second pinion engaging therewith and rotating at halfthe speed of the first pinion, a rotating valve, a connecting-rodbetween the valve and the said second pinion, supported at its center oncross-heads sliding on ways, a governor operated by the driving-shaft, apivoted arm capable of being deflected by the action of the governor, aconnection with the oil-supply valve, a depending finger secured to thepoint of support of the connecting-rod and adapted to either strike ormiss the extremity of the arm at each stroke of the piston,substantially as set forth. 7

3. In an explosive-engine, the combination of the positively-drivenpinion 11, the rotatin g valve 49, the crank 9 for rotating the same,the rod 10 connecting the crank 9 and pinion l1, and supported adjacentto its .center by a cross-head 14, sliding in ways 15, the pivoted arm20, the oil-valve 45, connections between said pivoted arm and saidoil-valve, the governor 16 for adjusting the position of the pivotedarm, and the finger 21 movable with said cross-head for engaging withsaid pivoted arm, substantially as set forth.

4. In an explosive-engine, an igniting device consisting of a fixedspring-contact, movable contact, carried with the cylinder-Valve, and anelastic auxiliary support for the fixed contact, substantially as setforth.

5. In an explosive-engine, an igniting de vice consisting of a fixedspring-contact, a movable contact carried with the cylindervalve, anauxiliary support for the fixed contact and extending at right anglesthereto through the cylinder-walls, and a spring for said auxiliarysupport outside of the cylinder-walls, substantially as set forth.

6. In a combined gas and oil engine, the combination with a cylinder, ofa valve-chest, a valve therein for regulating the supply and exhaust tothe cylinder, a governing-valve for regulating the supply of gas, anoil-valve for regulating the supply of oil, a governor, and connectionsbetween said governor and said regulating-valve and oil-valve,substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 21st day of January, 1896.

ADOLPH A. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

GEO. F. DAVIS, FRANK HAYES.

